


New Friends and Old Wounds

by ryanismyname



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Panic Attacks, nonverbal percy, takes place basically right after percy runs away from whitestone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 05:49:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7672510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryanismyname/pseuds/ryanismyname
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What did Percy do when he ran away from the slaughter of his family, from the home he had always known? He finds himself in a small town on the coast, and finds someone kind enough to help him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Friends and Old Wounds

**Author's Note:**

> kinda inspired by/ a prequel to "Old Friends and New Tricks" by Listless_Songbird (http://archiveofourown.org/works/7530127) which kinda made me think about young percy trying (and not succeeding well) at dealing with the trauma of losing his entire family and his home and having to fend for himself suddenly.  
> (also to be clear i never actually name him as such, but the boy is percy.)

Jem was a pretty alright fellow if he would say so himself. He had a nice little home in a small ocean-side town where he helped to run the port. He was very comfortable; he had a lovely wife whom he adored and a job that allowed him to help people.

 

See, Jem was known as a very compassionate and giving man around town, he was known to help and take in folks who had nothing left. He’d take in former prisoners or orphans and give them guidance and a place to work (as well as a few warm home-cooked meals courtesy of his wife) until they were ready to pick up and head towards greener pastures. He took pride in every fellow or gal he helped and boy was he happy when a few would return, happy and successful, to thank him for his kindness and help.

 

It was a rather dreary morning when Jem arose to start his day. He stepped outside to check on the weather and enjoy a nice cup of coffee when he sensed something. He’s not sure what exactly it is, but he feels compelled to check around his home. Well his gut instincts never really led him astray before, so he cautiously walks a perimeter around his home.

 

It’s there, in a pile of old spare fishing nets, he sees a boy. Well more of a teenager, but he’s so scrawny it would be easy to mistake him for younger. The boy seemed rather ragged, his white button-up was stained and torn in places and smudged with dirt and his slacks were in a similar condition. Upon closer inspection he also had a crack in one of the lenses of his round glasses askew on his face.

 

Jem wondered to himself upon seeing this curious sight. What was this kid doing here? Does he not have a home to stay at? Had he run away? Just at the sight of him it looked like he had been away from civilization for a fair while.

 

Jem gently reached forward and shook the boy’s shoulder to rouse him.

 

“Hey, kid. Wake up.”

 

The boy instantly shot up and scampered back as far as he could, backing himself against the wall of Jem’s home. He had a look of panic on his face, eyes wide and darting back and forth as if looking for an escape.

 

“Shhhh its okay, I’m not going to hurt you, son,” Jem held up his hands in a sign of non-aggression, “You look as though you could use a good meal, care to come inside for some breakfast?”

 

The boy seemed to be swayed by Jem’s gentle demeanor because his panic wore down into mere tiredness, and he moved to come towards the man.

 

“That’s right, it’s okay. Nothin’s gonna hurt you here.”

 

Jem gently lead the scared boy into his small home and pulled out a seat at the kitchen table for him and sat at the other side once the boy was seated.

 

“So what’re ya doing sleeping out in the cold in my old nets, sonny? You a runaway or something? You need help getting back to your family?”

 

At the mention of family, the boy seemed to go back into panic mode, his breath growing quicker, his eyes going out of focus, and his hands reach up to tug at his hair, which Jem now notices has some strange white streaks among the ashy brown.

 

At seeing the sudden change in the boy’s demeanor, Jem goes back to trying to calm him.

 

“Shhh it’s okay. It’s okay there’s nothing bad here. Just breathe. Breathe with me. Breathe in… 2 .. 3.. 4.. and out.. 2.. 3.. 4.. “

 

Jem continues to help the boy to breathe until he settles down once again.

 

“Hows about I make us that breakfast I mentioned before,” Jem got up from his seat and went into the kitchen to fry up some eggs.

 

“’s alright if you can’t talk about it right now, kiddo, I can wait,” Jem speaks to the boy over his shoulder, still keeping an eye on him.

 

The boy sits at the table staring intently at his hands as he messes about with his fingers nervously. Jem also notices that the boy’s hands have a slight tremble to them. Jem wonders to himself what this kid’s been through. The way he’s acting points to the kid having been through some capital ‘S’ Shite. Jem feels a surge of protective instinct inside him, the kid is nearly an adult himself, but Jem still feels that this kid could really use some of his help.

 

Jem plops down two plates of scrambled eggs, one for the kid and one for himself, which startles the boy out of his daze.

 

“Eat up, kiddo, you look like you could use it.”

 

Without hesitation the boy starts to eagerly scarf down the eggs.

 

“Whoa slow down! We don’t need you choking on your eggs,” Jem warned.

 

The boy sheepishly stops himself, then begins eating again at a slower rate.

 

“By the way, I don’t think we had a proper introduction,” Jem reaches his hand out towards the boy, “M’ name’s Jem. I work out on the docks. What’s your name?”

 

The boy nervously reaches his hand out and shakes Jem’s hand. He swallows and opens his mouth as if to speak, but then shakes his head and looks away.

 

“Well if you can’t say it, could you maybe write it down for me? I’d really like to know what I should be calling you.”

 

The boy looks down at the table in thought, his messy hair falling in his face from where it had been pushed back. Then he looks up and nods firmly.

 

“Alright then, hold on a sec while I find some paper or somethin’” Jem scampers off to another room, but soon returns with a stubby, mostly dull, pencil and some scrap parchment. He sets it down in front of the boy.

 

The boy picks up the pencil, looking it over for a second, before setting to write something on the parchment. He writes for a moment before turning the paper around for Jem to see.

 

The handwriting was neat but not overly fancy. There was a small bit crossed out so that Jem couldn’t quite tell what the boy had started to write, but next to it was written ‘Fred’.

 

“So, Fred is it? Pleasure to meet you Fred. You seem like you could maybe use a bit of support and guidance. I could help you to get job on the docks, earn a bit of coin, get some good food in your stomach. That is, if you’d be alright with that?”

 

Jem wasn’t sure how the boy would respond. He had on all accounts been rather skittish and afraid through their encounter. He was honestly a bit surprised that the boy hadn’t already off and tried to run away by now.

 

The boy once again started down at his trembling hands in thought. Jem waited patiently, not wanting to rush the boy or scare him away.

 

After a few beats of waiting the boy raised his head and looked at him, his eyes having a sharpness to them that Jem hadn’t yet witnessed, and firmly and confidently nodded his head.

 

Jem smiled, relieved that the boy wasn’t about to run off and get himself into more trouble, “Good, good, Freddie. I’ll see about getting you a place soon. Oh and also maybe see about fixing those eyeglasses of yours. I can’t imagine its easy seeing through them with a big crack in your lens,”

 

Jem lets out a gentle chuckle before going to clean up their breakfast dishes.

 


End file.
